Detachable cantilever bracket structure



Dec. 14, W43. w. e. EDWARD ETAL 2,335,604

DETACHABLE CANTILEVER BRACKET STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 30. 1941 INVENTORSIGORDON EDWARD MERRY FROST I .ATTORNEYJ.

Patented Dec. 14, 1943 DETACHABLE CAN TILEVER BRACKET STRUCTURE WalterGordon Edward and George Merry Frost,

Johannesburg, Transvaal,

Africa Application September 30,

Union of South 1941, Serial No. 412,986

In the Union of South Africa, November 5, 1940 Claims.

This invention relates to bracket structures comprising a post which isfixed to or incorporated in upright structure such as a wall or may formpart of a stand, and comprising also a cantilever bracket arm adapted tobe detachably mounted at one end on the post and when so mounted to havehorizontal extension therefrom. A horizontal row of such bracketstructures is suitable for supporting horizontal lengths of pipes,shelves and other articles.

An example of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing inwhich:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the post and bracket armassembled.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the parts separated.

Figure 3 is an elevation of the assembly, partly sectioned on 3-3, Fig.1.

Figure 4 illustrates the procedure of mounting or dismounting thebracket arm.

Figures 5 and 6 show the invention in use.

The post indicated generally by IQ is made of plate bent to form a boxsection comprising the back element H, the two side elements l2, and afront element consisting of two inward flanges l3, separated by a gap[4. At the positions where a bracket arm is intended to be mounted, theflanges [3 are notched to provide the upwardly directed and horizontaledge l5, forming the supporting engagement point for the bracket. Thenotching preferably consists of the horizontal slots or gaps l6, 16 thevertical width of which is no more than is necessary to enable thebracket arm to tilt as shown in Fig. 4. Said slots preferably extendhorizontally to the inner surfaces l'l, ll of the side elements or walls12, actually dividing the flanges l3 into vertical series of spaced lugsor flange members. A vertical tongue H3 is pressed from the material ofthe back member H to provide the downwardly directed edge i9, formingthe point of engagement for the inner end of the bracket. The tongue ispreferably pressed somewhat out of the plane of the back element H andso as to be within the cavity of the post section.

The bracket arm 29, so far as concerns its formation to engage with thepost, provides the lateral horizontal extensions 2| to engage in theslots IS: an upturned hook 22 to engage behind the tongue; and a flatsurface 23 to contact with the edge IQ of the tongue. The arm generallyis of girder-like form; and in the example shown comprises thehorizontal plate 24 and the stifiening ribs formed of angle pieces 25and welded to the underside of the plate 24. The lateral flanges formedof the side edges of the plate 24 and the horizontal elements of theangles constitute the lateral extensions 2| and the plate provides thesurface 23. The rear end of the plate is turned up to form the hook 22and the front end 26 may be also turned up as a check against supportedarticles slipping off that end of the bracket. The gap M in the post iswide enough and extends sufliciently far below the slots It to admit thestiffening formations 25.

The metal of the tongue I8 is not severed, at its horizontal ends 21',from the metal of the 7 back element H but is embossed out of the latterand thereby given a stifi form. The hook 22 and the tongue it areconveniently made only so wide horizontally that the former passeseasily through the gap 14.

The post is usually associated with other structure that supports itvertically or materially so. In the case illustrated in Fig. 5 it isincorporated in the face of a concrete wall 28, and is retained in thewall by anchors 29. The concrete considerably reinforces the stifinessof the metal plate post when the latter is of some length. For carrying"electric cables 30 (for instance), posts 19 are spaced along the wallequally to the desired length of the cable spans and each is providedwith as many bracket receiving formations l6, It as the number of tiersoibrackets that is likely to be required.

The advantage of the tongue 18 being within the boundaries of the postsection is that no chase to receive it need be made in structure withwhich the back of the post contacts. When concrete is to be cast aroundthe post, a slip indicated by the dotted lines 3i, Fig. 4, mayflrst belightly secured in position to cover the hook recess; and if the upperend of the hollow post is within the concrete, it also is similarlycovered.

Fig. 6 shows two oi the posts It welded together to form a compositepost rigid enough to stand by itself; the front of each component postfacing outward so that each such component post functions as before incarrying its bracket arms. The composite post may have a foot such as 33for standing on the ground or it may be sunk in a concrete base.

Fig. 4 indicates the procedure of mounting a bracket arm on the post.The flanges 2| are slid through the slots Hi; the hook 22 and bodysection 01' the arm passing freely through the gap l t. The outer end ofthe arm is tilted up sufficiently to enable the hook 22 to be passedunder the lip 19; and the advantage of making the flanged notching inthe form of narrow slotsv is that the latter provides the arm with asomewhat positive pivotal connection with the post which facilitates thecombined tilting and sliding manipulation of the arm in this operation.The outer end of the arm is then lowered to the locked position ofFig.3. The arm is disconnected by the reverse operation.

A load on the bracket arm exerts a turning moment about the connectionof the bracket .to

metal of said edge and said tongue; which compressive stresses arereadily resisted by said parts when made of thin metal arranged in ormaterially in the planes of the stresses. This is substantially trueeven if the post is slightly inclined since the departure from truecompressive stress is proportional to the sine of the angle of inclination, which is negligibly small in the case of small angles. Such smallbending moment as is exerted on the post metal due to the insetting ofthe tongue 53 is amply compensated for by the special stiffness impartedto the tongue by its being embossed out of the flat metal of the backmember.

When electric cables are strung on the brackets they are usually pulledtight; and it is necessary that the brackets should properly resist theconsequential side thrust. The cutting back of the slots [6 to thesurfaces I? enables the edges 32 of the arm to contact with saidsurfaces ll and so secure the arm against such side thrust.

We claim:

1. In a bracket structure including a bracket arm and a hollow post forsupporting the same having a rear wall and two side walls extendingforwardly therefrom so as to leave a front opening between the forwardedges of said walls,'the combination of a series of inwardly projectingand alined lugs or flange members fixed on each of said forward edges ofthe side walls and spaced apart at predetermined points by notches orgaps, each series of flange members being disposed opposite to, andprojecting directly toward the other with the gaps between the membersin one series registering with those of the other to form correspondingopposite pairs, a series of stops upon the rear wall within said postsubstantially corresponding in their individual positions with saidpairs of gaps, horizontally disposed edges extending laterally to bothsides of the bracket arm and downwardly extending flange meanslongitudinally disposed beneath said bracket arm within the side edgesthereof and at the rear end of the same extending into the space betweensaid forward edges and the rear wall when the laterally extending sideedges extend inwardly through a pair of said gaps and the rear end ofthe arm engages beneath a corresponding stop of the series on said rearwall.

2. A bracket structure according to claim 1, having a series ofdownwardly directed tongues forming the stops on the rear wall of thepost, and having an upwardly projecting retaining tongue or hook fixedupon the rear end of the bracket arm for engaging under one of thetongues in the series in order to prevent accidental outward withdrawalof said bracket arm from said post.

3. A bracket structure according to claim 1, having the downwardlyextending flange means of the bracket arm fit between the two oppositeseries of lugs in the front opening between the side walls of the post,and having the lateral or transverse dimension of the bracket from oneside edge to the other being substantially equal to the distance betweensaid side walls of said post in the gaps thereof.

4. A bracket structure according to claim 1, having the bracket arm madeof a substantially straight sheet of material having at its rear anupwardly projecting tongue or hook serving to engage one of the stops onthe rear wall of the post, and having a pair of angle plates fixedbeneath the same to form the downwardly extending flange means, thelower edges of the latter being inclined downwardly from the forward endtoward the rear end of said bracket arm.

5. In a bracket structure including a bracket arm and a hollow bracketreceiving post for receiving the same having a rear wall and two sidewalls extending forwardly therefrom so as to leave a front openingbetween the forward edges of said walls, in each bracket receivingposition of the post the combination of an inwardly projecting lug orflange member fixed on each of said forward edges and followed by anotch or gap, each flange member being disposed opposite to, andprojecting directly toward the other with the one gap registering withthev other gap to form a corresponding opposite pair, a rigid stop uponthe rear wall within said post substantially corresponding in itsposition with said pair of gaps, horizontally disposed edges extendinglaterally to both sides of the bracket arm and downwardly extendingflange means longitudinally disposed beneath said bracket arm within theside edges thereof and at the rear end of the same extending into thespace between said forward edges and the rear wall when the laterallyextending side edges extend inwardly through said pair of gaps and therear end of the arm engages beneath said stop on the rear wall.

WALTER GORDON EDWARD. GEORGE MERRY FROST.

